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Coin counters can help smaller groceries compete with big businesses

Grocery stores competing with online companies can get an extra edge from self-service coin counters. Additionally, when a grocery store is family-owned, many times the improvements that are done to the facilities, such as better credit card processing software or features like a coin counting machine, can draw in customers.

The Washington Post recently cited an issue with grocery stores that may become a problem if companies don't begin to compete. The title of the article says it all: "Why go to the store, when the groceries can come to your doorstep?"

It's an important question. More people are shopping online than ever before. Business in this industry is booming, according to the story, although as a portion of overall grocery sales, the number is still small. One way in which brick-and-mortar grocery stores can compete with online retailers is by offering items and services that can't be found online. Coin counting machines allow these businesses to fill that niche. When people are taking their change to have it counted, they can bring the money to the grocery store, and then use that cash to buy groceries after it's been converted into dollars.

When competing with larger stores, smaller businesses can leverage these tools to attract more customers. Frazee, Minnesota is a small town, but the owner of one grocery store there found that he didn't begin selling very much until he made improvements on the equipment inside, according to Detroit Lakes Online.

"We put in new cash registers, lanes, remodeled, added on, replaced the meat case, moved the produce to the front, got new compressors…" owner Heath Peterson told Detroit Lakes Online. "There were a lot of things we needed to do, and there are still things to be done."

By purchasing and implementing improvements like a self-service coin counter, stores like the one in Frazee can begin to draw customers through these extra services.